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Volunteer Award Winner: Fay Wolin

Gallery Service - October 2008

The Detroit Institute of Arts Gallery Service Committee honors Fay Wolin as its 2008 Volunteer of the Year. Wolin has been a volunteer for more than 15 years. She joined Gallery Service, initially along with her husband, in response to a request on radio station WJR-AM for museum volunteers.

Wolin has had a lifelong interest in art. She continues to enjoy rediscovering many long-unseen artworks since the museum’s reopening last fall; her favorite genre is landscape painting. In addition to numerous current works displayed at the DIA, she takes particular pleasure in viewing the special exhibitions that travel to the museum.

Wolin also values fine architecture; she appreciates most the designs of her favorite, Frank Lloyd Wright, because he beautifully integrates structure with environment. She enjoys visiting Industrial Arts exhibitions at the Michigan State Fairgrounds, particularly the sophisticated patterns found at the quilting exhibits presented there annually.

Before her retirement, Wolin worked for Michigan Bell (now AT&T) and Sinai Grace Hospital. She is a long-time resident of Dearborn, having lived most of her life in the Detroit area.

Wolin enjoys the outdoors, and has fond memories of camping with her four children when they were young. Currently she spends time enjoying her garden, where she tends her roses, strawberries, and rhubarb. Wolin also enjoys cooking and baking, and sometimes shares her creations with friends.

Wolin spends several days a month at the DIA. She is a gentle, smiling presence in the galleries, who is knowledgeable, alert, and always willing to respond to others. She often goes out of her way to make visitors feel comfortable and to make their experience here one they wish to repeat.

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